Improvement in knitting-machines



l fltlniirdf gratta y gaat cran.

` FRANK PHILIP, or'srooiironrgnnw YonII, rissIeNon ro IIAMIL'roN' TowLn AND- enonen En. IIARDING, or NEwYoRK cIrY. i

Letters Patent Np. 100,7 9S, datcd llIa/rch 15, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT 1N KNIT'IING-MACHINES- The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making past cf the same.

To all whom 'it mayrcon-cern Be it known that I, FRANK PHILIP, of Stockport, in the county of Columbia, State of New York, have 1nvented new and improved Devices and Arranget ments for Operating such Machines for Knitting Fabrics as are embraced under patents granted Jonas Hinkley, G. M. latten, and others; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is aj full and exact descrip- `tion thereof I reference ybeing hadto `the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon and forming partlof this specification, in which-V Sheet I shows the following details:

Figure I, the front .elevation ot' that portion of a `knitting-machine which shows clearly my improvements in lthe sliding indicators and the feed-wheel.

t Figure II, a front elevation, showing one of the sliding indicatorsand thefeed-wheel with dit'ercntl l engagement of parts.

Sheet II shows the following' details: l i ,p Figure III, a rear elevation of the feed-wheel and switch-lever".

Figure IV, a cross-section ofthe feed-wheel and y switch-lever on the line :c of Fig; III;

Figure-V, a side elevation of the feed-wheel. v

My improvement particularly relates to the kuitting-machines mow manufactured bythe -I-Iinkley Knitting-Machine Company, and the arrangement of my improvement is adapted and shown upon a ma `chine of their manufacture, but the principle of the improvement may be applied to any other-,knittingmachine operated similarly.

the usual knitting-machinqthe comb traverses by the action of vthe feed-wheel and switch' during their rotation until the feed-wheel arrives at either t indicator, `which strikes the tumbler of the switch and reverses the motion of the comb upon the second revolntion ofthe feed-wheel, and while producing straight 1 work, or while the 'fabric is being widened, aselvage 1s produced; but to form a selvage during the opera'- I `tion of narrowing, unless each stitch narrowed be removed by the hand of the operator and placed on the next inside tooth of the comb, which causes tedious l delay and great inconvenience in fashioning articles on the machine, only a raw unfinished edge is the result; and the loops must be cleared from their teeth also, or the work in progress is impeded; while in the same machine the last row, of stitches is invariably raw, and canonly be nished after being taken from the machine, by hand.

My invention consists of certain new and useful devices forproducing a perfect selvage when narrowing by the automatic action of Ythe machine itself, the indcators being operated bythe attendant as in the usual machine;` andfnrther, to form` a selvage or iinished edge of the last row of stitches on the comb-teeth, or, technically speaking, to bind oli the fabric by the action of the machine` itself beforeremoving the work, hitherto impossible by the usual appliances of the machine and also to producevarions combinations of stitches not possible without my improvements or their mechanical equivalents.

It consists first of elon gating and elevating the usual projection of the indicators G, as shown at gFig I,

so that the tumbler or dog y, which governs the shift-` ing ofthe primary or original switch F of the feedwheelC shall be reversed at an earlier point of the revolution of the feed-wheel than in the original machine, and also providing such indicator with a movable or pivoted pawl, g1, having the two arms g'l and g* for operating the secondary switch F2 and the primary switch F. This pawl g can be swung in or ont of use, at pleasure, and is also provided Iwith the stop g3 forgiving the proper position to the arms gi and g.

4Secondly, the construction of the switch Fi in the periphery of the feed-wheel C, additional and extra tothe original movable switch F, which lswitch F"l is operated bythe projection g2 of the indicators G, and

also by the switch-lever H in rear of the feed-wheel,

Fig. III, Sheet II.

Thirdly, the switch-lever H, Fig. III,- for operating the secondary switch Fi by throwing said switch F2 to the right or left, or retaining it-in a central position, or changing its position from that given by the projection gz, whichlever H is situated on the rear of the vma'chine'and operates from that side of the feedwheel. This lever is furthermore held in suitable po- I -sitions by any mechanical contrivances adapted for that purpose.A

The operation of the machine when in connection 'chinc can be operated similarly to and produces similar fabrics to the original machine; but in the improvedmachine and when the operation of narrowing is tobc performed, the pawls g1 of the indicators G Gr'y are thrown forward, and when the indicators have arrived at the feed-wheel C the projection g2 of the pawl gl strikes the cam F1 of the secondary switch F2, mov-4 ing the said switch to 'its furthest position from the indicator', as shown in Fig. I, and the projection g4 trips the tumbler y of the primary switch F as it arrives in proper position, shown in Fig. II, moving the switch F to its central'position and the projection g also trips the tumblery stilli'nrther, which compistes the shifting of said switch to the reverse position. f

The eiiectis to move the comb over one tooth from the-indicator by the action of the secondary switch F2 while the new loop yor stitch which is being formed v H being set at its central uposition meanwhile shifts vthe secondary switch to its middle point, after said switch has once moved the comb, so that the narrowtakes ol both theserstitches and the new loop which 'row of stitches, as described and claimed.

by the needle and looper is suspended in the looper; consequently the loop is deposited on the nexttooth inside the one which otherwise would have received it; and when ther primary switch operates to traverse rire comb another tooth along, the two switches are left on the same tooth of the comb, to be taken up together by the needle when it again reaches that point of the comb, which completes the operation of narrowing for one tooth, and by moving the indicators one tooth toward each other' ihr each or any row that it is desired to have narrowed; this operation is repeated at pleasure, and narrowing on the machine with a produced salvage results. The switch-lever ing process concludes with that stitch, except by the volitionV of the attendant.

'lo form a selvagc ou the last row of loops or stitches by the automatic action of the machine, the primary switch F is placed at its central position and the switch-lever H is moved over to that side which is desired to be bound olf, the secondary switch is moved to that same side and alone aetuates the traversing of the comb, and moves the comb along during that portion of the loop-forming process when the loop is suspended upon 'the looper, which on its backward movement deposits the loop dn the next inside tooth, over the loopbelongingv to that tooth, as in narrowing; but, there being no action by the primary switch F, the needle on its next forward movement is carried through them is by the action of the secondary switch F2 similarly placed on its next inside tooth, as was its predecessor. The continued repetition of this process forms aperfect selvage of the lastl The above describes the nature of my invention and the action thereof during the process of knitting.

I do not claim the principle of operating the ycomb of a knitting-machine by means of agroQved feedwheel which can be operated either as a rightor lefthand screw, by reason of a section of' its periphery being movable as a switch to either side of its plane, by striking against sliding or stationary indicators on the comb; but

What I claim as my invention is 1. The feed-Wheel of a knitting-machine having its periphery provided with a secondary switch, as described, operated by the ordinary indicators of the machine or by other mechanical devices for the purpose of forming the last row of stitches, or any portion thereof, into a selvage. y

2. The combination of a secondary switch in the periphery of a feed-wheel of a knitting-machine with a movable lever, or its mechanical equivalent,-for operating the same.

3. The combination with the indicators of the machine of a pivoted arm or pawl, as described, which may be thrown into or out of use, at pleasure, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with the feed-wheel of a knitting-machine of a secondary switch, F2, the movable switch-lever H, and the pivot-ed pawls gl, attached to the indicators of the machine for operating the witlches of said wheel, for the purposes herein set ort 1.

Dated this 23d day of October', 1869.

A FRANK PHILIP.

Witnesses 'l.. W. FARNswoR'rH, H. H. DUNCKLEE. 

